Currency
While Romania is part of the European Union, they haven’t yet adopted the currency, instead, they use leu (plural lei) and subunits called ban (plural bani). (1 leu consisting of 100 bani). Notes refer to banknotes of 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 200 and 500 lei, whereas coins refer to 1, 5, 10 and 50 bani.
Most tourists would need the local currency and it’s highly recommended you get this. To exchange money locally locate an exchange desk which can be found throughout the country and usually offers better rates than what you can get at home – but you will need photo ID to complete the transaction.
While some of the larger hotels may accept euro’s, any restaurants, public transport and activities will only accept the local currency.
Another useful tip is the water, while it I drinkable we advised bottled water where possible.
If you are heading to Romania we have already covered some great places to visit:
We have some great guides and information on travelling to Romania. These are well worth checking out before travelling.
Weather
The weather varies throughout the year and location. It’s worth checking out before you travel. Visit here to see the weather forecasts.
The country’s code is 0040 which will be needed to make any calls to Romania.
Some useful telephones numbers:
- Ambulance service: 0040 021 961 / 0040 021 973
- Fire department: 0040 021 981
- Road Police: 0040 021 9544
- Civil Guard: 0040 021 1982
As discussed above, while Romania doesn’t use the Euro it is part of the European Union and therefore not exempt from the EU customs regulations. Whether travelling by air or car you will need to go through border security, a little warning from experience the country borders can get very busy during the summer months so plan this into any travel time.
A question we get asked often, what is the time difference. This is quite hard to answer generically on here – but Romania is 2 hours ahead of GMT.
Is it safe to travel to Romania
We always recommend checking with your local government for travel advice on certain countries and always checking just before you travel as things can change in a country, here are a few useful links.
- https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/romania
- https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/romania.html
- http://dfat.gov.au/geo/romania/pages/romania.aspx
But check with your local government before travelling.
What’s your travel tips for going to Romania, share them in the comments below.